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Martin Solveig: 'Dance Music Albums Can Be Boring'

It’s a Wednesday afternoon in Ibiza and Martin Solveig is taking a breather in what will be a busy day. “Ibiza is my headquarters for the summer,” he notes, preparing to head out for a lunch at Ses Boques, a Mediterranean restaurant tucked away on one of the island’s famed beaches. “Ibiza is where I play the most, so this is where I established myself.”

Tonight, Solveig is also gearing up for his Wednesday residency, My House, at the island’s famed club Pacha. It’s a weekly gig where the French DJ spins tunes old and new, no doubt including Do It Right, a house anthem featuring Australia-based Zimbabwean singer Tkay Maidza. “My Wednesdays are hectic,” he says, adding that a 20-hour day isn’t out of the question. “Everything is dedicated to the residency. I’ll wake up as late as possible, probably around 10am. I’ll run 5km, eat a light breakfast, do some press, and then have a lunch with whoever’s on the island, like a guest DJ or someone from the industry.”

Dinner is eaten around midnight and the DJ starts his set at 2am, which doesn’t wrap up until after the sun starts shining at around 7am. “On a healthy level, it’s not what a doctor would recommend, but this intensity is only once a week.”

Fortunately, Solveig’s career is healthier than his sleep schedule. He’s been the toast of the dance world for the past 15 years, or as he calls it, “a lifetime in music”. Along the way, he’s released powerhouse singles (perhaps most notably the 2013 global smash Hello, his highest-charting track to date) and teamed with collaborators ranging from Madonna to Bloc Party.

So what’s changed in the industry since his 2002 debut album Sur la Terre? “Do you have an hour and a half for me to answer this question?” Solveig laughs. “On an environmental level, every single thing has changed. The market, the technique, the way people find music. There weren’t any social networks back in 2002 for one.”

Musically, Solveig says he’s evolved. “In 12 years I think I’ve improved in some elements of my creative field, like writing better lyrics or finding instrumental melodies or finding arrangements that are a little more special,” he notes. “If you listen to my first album, the songs were very deep house and more based in instruments and vocals; I was still working on defining my style. My second one, Hedonist, was where I figured out what I wanted to do with my music. If you listen to my old and new songs, you’ll find the songs I do now are a bit better.”